Fanny Wang 3000 Series Noise Canceling Headphone Review

Over The Ear Wang Features

If you are a frequent traveler, noise canceling headphones are either a thing you own, or a thing you covet. You see other travelers with them. Their little lights glowing telling the rest of the plane, "Hey, can't talk, my headphones are blocking you out. Sorry. Tell your fascinating story to that other person over there without the noise canceling headphones." Yes, you are envious. Yes, you wish you could close your eyes and let the little light tell the rest of the people around you that you can't hear them no matter how much they yell.

Of course, that's not how noise canceling headphones work, but that IS how people that have never owned noise canceling headphones THINK they work. If it keeps them from regaling you with stories from their trip to the Catskills... well, that's just a bonus.

Fanny Wang Headphone Co. has recently come on the scene with high end headphones that are targeted at the discerning consumer. Not for those with thin wallets, their offerings are high end and sport prices to match. On top of that, if you are willing to shell out $50 more, you can get a set of headphones where you can pick the specific colors (from a set of options) to match your tastes, outfit, or labradoodle. 

First Impressions and Features

The Fanny Wangs (they call them "Over-the-ear Wangs") came in a very protective box with a front that was held closed magnetically and a sleeve to keep it all together in transit. The 3000 Series is one of Wang's most expensive offerings and are their largest. They are surrounded by a case that resembles an old style camera case (at least it reminded me of the one my father used to have). It is flexible and has a small pouch in the top covered loosely with a mesh. Interestingly, the mesh is actually two different pieces sandwiched together and held closed by a piece of velcro. This is perfect for holding some of the smaller pieces securely and was a feature that I really liked.

The Series 3000 Wangs came with a number of accessories. First, they sport a removable 1.2 meter, tangle-resistant cord. There is a 1/4" adapter for use with full-sized headphone jacks (like on your receiver). The smaller 3.5mm jack has a diminutive surround so you won't have problems attaching it to your phone or portable MP3 player even if you have one of the more restrictive cases.

    

Also included with the Series 3000 Wangs was a two-prong adapter for use on a plane. If you weren't sure what Fanny Wang had in mind with these headphones (as if the box didn't give it away), you should now. They are for your commuter and they have all the bells and whistles they might want. Like all noise canceling headphones, the Series 3000 are active. They require two AAA batteries. Unlike every toy my kids have received over the last five years, Fanny Wang actually includes the batteries.

Taking a closer look at the headphones, there are Fanny Wang logos everywhere. They are on the sides of the sound chambers, inside the ear muffs, on the hinge, and even on the extendable metal pole. You aren't going to forget who made these headphones. The ear muffs are exceptionally soft and comfortable. There isn't any significant padding on the top band but, after you put them on, you'll likely not notice. They don't squeeze to your head too tightly and are easy to wear for long periods. These are easily the most comfortable headphones I've ever tried.

The cord has two notable features. Like nearly all headphones these days, they have a control that works with your iDevice. The buttons are clearly marked with the center button placed in a depression. The center button is large and raised so, at first blush, I thought it would be easy to operate. Overall, it wasn't bad but, because the button is recessed, I often found myself changing the volume at the same time. This may be because I generally use my thumb on that button.

The second, and probably the coolest, feature on the cord was the integrated "DuoJack" - a built in, in-line headphone splitter. While I'm sure there are many out there that look at this feature and think they'll never use it, I am absolutely in love with it. On long flights (or even just around the house), I'm often wanting to share what I'm listening to/watching with someone else. This relieves me of the hassle of trying to find a splitter or having to listen to something in series rather than at the same time. When you add in the conversion plug for airplanes and you've got the sort of convenience that makes travel much less irksome.

Fanny Wang Series 3000 Build Quality

The Fanny Wang Series 3000 headphones seem very sturdy. Constructed out of rigid plastic, the outside covering has a velvet-like feel that is very nice to the touch. The hinges that allow the headphones to fold up into a more compact package is large and robust looking. The cans themselves float freely in their housing so that they can adjust to the particulars of your head shape.

The action on the band as you adjust the headphones is mostly smooth with the normal tell-tale clicks as you pull it out. When fully extended, there is a louder click and it does take a bit more effort to reverse. On the left can, there is a removable plate that covers the battery compartment. The cover is secured by a short strip of fabric so that it doesn't fall off when you remove it and roll under the seat in front of you (a thoughtful inclusion). 

Fanny Wang decided to send me the blue and white headphones for review. They also offer a black and white set and a white and grey one. One thing that I didn't like about the fit and finish of the Series 3000 headphones was the quality of the plastic. On the main body of the headphones it wasn't noticeable but on the control and splitter on the cable, you could see through parts of the plastic. It reminded me of those cheap headsets they pass out on planes and, initially, really turned me off to the Series 3000.

The removable cable itself takes the "stiff is better" approach to fighting tangles. The cable is thick and bulky and resists being tied in knots. It is one of the better cables I've experienced. It maintains the two-tone look of the rest of the headphones with a blue and white casing. The only issue I had with it is that the two ends look exactly the same. While I'm not advocating a proprietary end on one side, some sort of physical indication of which side was which would have been convenient. After one inattentive moment on my part, I can confirm that it only works in one direction.

Lastly, I have to address the case. Advertised as "Rigid Foam", I found the case to be the one glaring mistake in this Fanny Wang offering. The Series 3000 headphones were designed with the traveler in mind. The case is barely more protective than a cloth sack. There is a carabiner on the top connected by a small strap. Presumably this is so you can hook the Series 3000 to your luggage. In my opinion, if you want to risk damage by crushing when you set your carry-on down or theft by someone giving it a good pull, go right ahead and use the carabiner. The case is far too flimsy for serious (or even casual) protection, the material too weak to keep someone from pulling the strap free, and the overall design a bit of a mess. While you can fold up the Series 3000 to fit inside, I could never quite get them to fit correctly and always felt like I had to push them in while zipping. Not a comforting thought when you are dealing with a $300 product.

3000 Noise Canceling and Performance

The 3000 Series from Fanny Wang brags four microphones in their noise canceling setup. Two measure the exterior noise to know what to block out and two measure what is coming out of the headphones to ensure that your auditory experience isn't compromised. Using these measurements, the active circuitry in the headphones create a canceling signal to block out up to 95% (their claim) of ambient noise. But what does this really mean in the real world?

If you think about the ambient noise that you hear on a plane, you know what noise canceling headphones are really designed to block. That sort of low hiss as the plane ferries you to your destination. The neophyte will believe that noise canceling means that, when you put them on, you hear nothing. Everything is blocked out. Not so. Everything is deadened, for sure, but not blocked out. You can still have conversations with people (though you can pretend you can't hear them if you don't want to talk to them I suppose) but they'll sound muffled and weird.

To get an idea of the types of frequencies the Fanny Wang headphones targeted, I moved to my home theater. Using my receiver on "auto switching" mode, I started playing the test tones. This is a wide-band, pink noise used to measure and calibrate the volume levels of the different speakers. The auto switching sends the signal to each speaker in series for a few seconds.

The difference between the noise canceling activated and deactivated was striking. The midrange of the pink noise was most affected with the upper and lower end remaining mostly untouched. The strangest effect was that all the speakers, even the three at the front of the room, sounded like they were playing from behind me. An interesting effect that one should remember when you are using the noise canceling feature.

There is a switch on the right headphone that allows you to use the headphones in one of three modes: Pass-through, Noise Canceling, and Noise Canceling with Bass Boost. The first is a nice feature as it allows you to continue to use your headphones even when the batteries are dead (estimated to last 48 hours). The Bass Boost mode adds 6dB to the bottom end.

My wife had a short flight scheduled so I lent her the Fanny Wangs for the day. She was impressed not only with the comfort of the headphones but how well they blocked out the ambient sound. Around the house, the difference with the noise canceling enabled was dramatic. Blocking out the ambient noise in the room made the listening experience much more enjoyable and meant that I didn't have to turn up the volume as much to really enjoy my music. As noise canceling performance goes, the Fanny Wang Series 3000 is at least as good if not better than everything else I've experienced.

The only problem I had with the noise canceling (or the Series 3000 in general I suppose) was a few moments of distortion. It seemed to happen most often when I was near my laptop computer. If I was facing the computer, the noise canceling would add a static hiss in the background. If I faced away from the computer, it would stop. It wasn't very consistent but it happened enough to be mentioned.

Fanny Wang 3000 Sound Quality

With the in-line splitter, testing out the Fanny Wang Series 3000 headphones was easier than most. First, I tested out the three modes: Pass Through, Noise Canceling, and Noise Canceling with Bass Boost. One of the nicer features of the Series 3000 is that they have a Pass Through mode. This allows you to use them even if your batteries are dead. There are plenty of noise canceling headphones on the market that don't have this feature. If I were to judge the Fanny Wang headphones on just the Pass Through mode, I'd be fairly unimpressed. The sound overall is very compressed with a muted top end and anemic bass. In comparison with headphones from Denon and Audio-Technica, they fared poorly.

Of course, the Pass Though mode is a mode of last resort. You didn't buy $300 Noise Canceling headphones not to have them cancel noise. You often read in audiophile reviews about how testing out new gear was like "lifting a veil" or removing a blanket from the sound. That is what turning on the noise canceling is like with the Fanny Wang Series 3000 headphones. The top end becomes much crisper, the noise floor completely disappears, and the overall presentation is light years better than the Pass Through mode.

I did a number of comparisons between the Fanny Wang Series 3000 headphones and my Denon AH-D1000 headphones (MSRP $150) and Pioneer SE-MJ591 headphones (MSRP $299.99). The comparison between the Denons and the Fanny Wang headphones was fairly close. The top end of the Fanny Wang headphones was a bit more extended but there was more bass with the Denons and the overall presentation was fuller. Both were enjoyable and, when I was wearing them, I liked what I heard. But switching quickly between the Denons and the Fanny Wangs, I'd have to say that I preferred the Denons. Over the longer term, the Fanny Wang's top end tended to be a bit fatiguing at higher volumes. Lower volumes were much better.

Remember, these tests were conducted in a quiet environment and are based on sound quality alone. Add in ambient noise, and it is easy to see how the Fanny Wangs would be the clear winner. If for no other reason than because I could enjoy them at lower volumes without external noise bleed-through.

Overall, the Fanny Wang Series 3000 headphones had decent soundstage and dynamic range. The high end could was well extended though, at times, harsh and I thought the bottom end could be better extended and fuller. The overall presentation of the music was quite accurate, though, and seemed to be distortion free. While I can't say that the Series 3000 headphones could be used for reference listening, in noisy environments, they sounded absolutely fantastic and much better than anything else. Even headphones that outperformed them in quiet listening tests were surpassed simply because of ambient noise leakage.

The Pionner SE-MJ591 retail for the same price as the Fanny Wangs but, of course, they are simply a set of headphones. None of that money is going toward noise canceling technology. Where the Denons and the Series 3000s had a lot in common, the Pioneers were in a completely different league. There was so much more information on the top end that switching between the two was jarring. The depth of the music with the Pioneers left the Fanny Wangs in the dust. Interestingly, the bottom end of the two headphones sounded very similar in this mode.

I did a number of tests with the Bass Boost enabled. While I felt the Fanny Wang Series 3000 needed a bit more bass in general, the Bass Boost feature (which adds 6dB to the bottom end) was too much for most serious listening. There were some tracks where the Bass Boost was just enough but, overall, I preferred it off.

Fanny Wang Series 3000 Conclusion

The Fanny Wang Series 3000 headphones are a very nice sounding set of cans that feature not only a Pass Through mode for use when the batteries die but also Noise Canceling and Noise Canceling with Bass Boost. Part of that $300 you are spending on them went into the noise canceling but not all of it. While it didn't hold up to dedicated headphones in the same price bracket, it did well against some highly regarded, but cheaper, sets. When you add in that you'd likely be using them in noisy environments, that they are comfortable enough to wear all day, and that they included everything you'll need to enjoy these at home or on the road (including 1/4" and airline adapters), and you can see the value. While they aren't the least expensive Noise Canceling headphones on the market, with the Fanny Wang Series 3000 headphones, you know that you are getting good sound with your noise canceling.

Fanny Wang Series 3000 Noise Canceling Headphones

MSRP $299.95

 

www.fannywang.com

 

The Score Card

The scoring below is based on each piece of equipment doing the duty it is designed for. The numbers are weighed heavily with respect to the individual cost of each unit, thus giving a rating roughly equal to:

Performance × Price Factor/Value = Rating

Audioholics.com note: The ratings indicated below are based on subjective listening and objective testing of the product in question. The rating scale is based on performance/value ratio. If you notice better performing products in future reviews that have lower numbers in certain areas, be aware that the value factor is most likely the culprit. Other Audioholics reviewers may rate products solely based on performance, and each reviewer has his/her own system for ratings.

Audioholics Rating Scale

• — Excellent
• — Very Good
• — Good
• — Fair
• — Poor

Metric	Rating
Features
Remote Control
Ergonomics & Usability
Build Quality
Appearance
Treble Extension
Treble Smoothness
Midrange Accuracy
Bass Extension
Bass Accuracy
Imaging
Soundstage
Dynamic Range
Fit and Finish
Performance
Value